Container volume of Kaohsiung Harbor reached 10.26 million TEU in 2007
The total container volume handled by Kaohsiung Harbor reached 10.26 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2007, a 4.9-percent increase from figures for 2006, according to Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau Director Hsieh Ming-hui. "This is the first time that Kaohsiung Harbor has surpassed the threshold of 10 million TEUs," Hsieh announced Jan. 14.
KHB Deputy Director-General Huang Kuo-ying added, "We also surpassed the target set by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, which was 10.2 million TEUs for 2007." The container volume for the month of December alone topped 915,000 TEUs, a new monthly record. Huang said Kaohsiung had set a target of 10.5 million TEUs for 2008, a minor increase of 3 percent on the total volume handled for last year.
According to Huang, import-export containers and transshipment activities both accounted for approximately 50 percent of the total volume. The total number of import-export containers last year increased by about 516,000 TEUs compared with figures for 2006, being an 11.2-percent increase. He explained that the growth could be attributed to a rising demand from China and India for raw materials and foodstuffs, including millet and corn. In addition, Huang said that a stronger euro prompted "many businesses to purchase a large quantity of raw materials from Asia. Nearly all the container ships heading to Europe were fully loaded."
Despite the increase in volume through Kaohsiung, the Port of Rotterdam reached the 10-million threshold much faster due to the large number of containers originating from European ports. "Rotterdam continued to beat Kaohsiung in terms of container volume," Huang said. Rotterdam announced in November 2007 that it had topped 10 million TEUs, whereas Kaohsiung did not reach that benchmark until the end of December. As a result, Kaohsiung Harbor, which was the world's sixth-largest container port in 2007, is now ranked seventh.
Even though the southern port's volume was up last year, shipping experts have warned that Kaohsiung's global ranking will probably continue to slide in the face of strong competition from Dubai Harbor. Dubai is one of the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates. In 2007, Dubai Harbor saw a rapid growth in container-handling capacity because of the sharp growth in transshipment containers handled in the European region. Figures for Dubai's total shipping volume will be announced within two to three months. "We will know then if our harbor [slips to] eighth-largest port behind [Rotterdam and] Dubai," Hsieh said.
Facing stiff competition, KHB officials are working hard to renovate and expand existing facilities. "Currently, we are working on expanding our sixth container terminal by building four new wharfs. When the first two wharfs are completed in 2010, we expect the harbor's handling capacity to increase by 2 million TEUs a year," Hsieh remarked.
Kaohsiung was the world's third-largest container port in the 1990s, but its ranking has fallen in recent years due to the lack of direct links between Taiwan and China. "Our harbor has everything a first-class port needs, such as excellent facilities and natural conditions. However, we can hardly compete with other ports without having direct links with China," Hsieh lamented.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei has consistently pointed out in its annual Taiwan White Paper that not having direct links with China has increasingly marginalized Taiwan in Asia, with many foreign businesses opting to go directly to China instead of stopping in Taiwan. AmCham has warned that if such a situation continues, Taiwan's economy and international trade position will be significantly damaged, despite the country's advantageous geographic location. Based on its close proximity to many key cities on the Pacific Rim, Taiwan has the potential to become a major transshipment hub, serving as a transit point for both travelers and cargo bound for China, North America and other countries in Asia.
The competitiveness of Taiwan's aviation and shipping companies in the global transportation network also gives the country an edge over Asian rivals, with potential connections to 70 percent of the world's economic operations. It is a shame that the lack of direct links with China, however, has made such ambitions difficult to realize, Hsieh stated. "I hope there will be a major breakthrough of the transportation impasse between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait soon," he said.
KHB Deputy Director-General Huang Kuo-ying added, "We also surpassed the target set by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, which was 10.2 million TEUs for 2007." The container volume for the month of December alone topped 915,000 TEUs, a new monthly record. Huang said Kaohsiung had set a target of 10.5 million TEUs for 2008, a minor increase of 3 percent on the total volume handled for last year.
According to Huang, import-export containers and transshipment activities both accounted for approximately 50 percent of the total volume. The total number of import-export containers last year increased by about 516,000 TEUs compared with figures for 2006, being an 11.2-percent increase. He explained that the growth could be attributed to a rising demand from China and India for raw materials and foodstuffs, including millet and corn. In addition, Huang said that a stronger euro prompted "many businesses to purchase a large quantity of raw materials from Asia. Nearly all the container ships heading to Europe were fully loaded."
Despite the increase in volume through Kaohsiung, the Port of Rotterdam reached the 10-million threshold much faster due to the large number of containers originating from European ports. "Rotterdam continued to beat Kaohsiung in terms of container volume," Huang said. Rotterdam announced in November 2007 that it had topped 10 million TEUs, whereas Kaohsiung did not reach that benchmark until the end of December. As a result, Kaohsiung Harbor, which was the world's sixth-largest container port in 2007, is now ranked seventh.
Even though the southern port's volume was up last year, shipping experts have warned that Kaohsiung's global ranking will probably continue to slide in the face of strong competition from Dubai Harbor. Dubai is one of the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates. In 2007, Dubai Harbor saw a rapid growth in container-handling capacity because of the sharp growth in transshipment containers handled in the European region. Figures for Dubai's total shipping volume will be announced within two to three months. "We will know then if our harbor [slips to] eighth-largest port behind [Rotterdam and] Dubai," Hsieh said.
Facing stiff competition, KHB officials are working hard to renovate and expand existing facilities. "Currently, we are working on expanding our sixth container terminal by building four new wharfs. When the first two wharfs are completed in 2010, we expect the harbor's handling capacity to increase by 2 million TEUs a year," Hsieh remarked.
Kaohsiung was the world's third-largest container port in the 1990s, but its ranking has fallen in recent years due to the lack of direct links between Taiwan and China. "Our harbor has everything a first-class port needs, such as excellent facilities and natural conditions. However, we can hardly compete with other ports without having direct links with China," Hsieh lamented.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei has consistently pointed out in its annual Taiwan White Paper that not having direct links with China has increasingly marginalized Taiwan in Asia, with many foreign businesses opting to go directly to China instead of stopping in Taiwan. AmCham has warned that if such a situation continues, Taiwan's economy and international trade position will be significantly damaged, despite the country's advantageous geographic location. Based on its close proximity to many key cities on the Pacific Rim, Taiwan has the potential to become a major transshipment hub, serving as a transit point for both travelers and cargo bound for China, North America and other countries in Asia.
The competitiveness of Taiwan's aviation and shipping companies in the global transportation network also gives the country an edge over Asian rivals, with potential connections to 70 percent of the world's economic operations. It is a shame that the lack of direct links with China, however, has made such ambitions difficult to realize, Hsieh stated. "I hope there will be a major breakthrough of the transportation impasse between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait soon," he said.